The Reclamation in Bombay was necessary. because: (i) When the islands of Bombay passed into British hands, the East India Company shifted its base from Surat to Bombay. Thus, Bombay became a major outlet for exports and it also became an important administration centre in Western India and by the end of the 19th century a major industrial centre. (ii) With the growth of trade in cotton and opium large communities of traders and bankers as well as artisans and shopkeepers came to settle in Bombay. (iii) Bombay dominated the maritime trade of India till the twentieth century. (iv) The railways encouraged an even higher scale of migration into the city. For instance, famine in dry region of Kutch drove large numbers of people into Bombay in 1888-89. Land Reclamation Projects: (a) Back Bay Reclamation: In 1864, the Back Bay Reclamation Company won the right to reclaim the western foreshore from the tip of Malabar hill to the end of Colaba. (b) Bombay Port Trust: A successful Reclamation project was undertaken by the Bombay Port Trust, which built a dry between 1914 and 1918 used the excavated earth to create the 22 acre Ballard Estate. Subsequently the famous Marine Drive of Bombay was developed.